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Cleveland Browns' Davone Bess has been dealing with off-the-field issues for weeks leading up to Friday's arrest

Updated January 17, 2014 at 9:36 PM;Posted January 17, 2014 at 3:44 PM

Bess can't get a grip on chronic struggles

Cleveland Browns receiver Davone Bess sits alone on the bench after having a tough day holding onto the football with a punt fumble and a few dropped passes in the Browns' 23-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
(John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer)

In the days before he left the team last month to deal with personal issues, the Browns were worried about his mental well-being, a league source told Northeast Ohio Media Group. Another source said Friday that Bess was at the Fort Lauderdale Airport at the time of his arrest to catch a flight home to Oakland, Calif., to reunite with his family and seek help.

Bess had difficulty focusing and sleeping throughout the season – easily the worst in his six-year NFL career – as he dealt with serious family issues, said the source. The stress over his family, he added, contributed to his actions.

“This is not the guy people know,” the source said.

Bess was arrested and later freed on $100 bond Friday morning for assaulting an officer, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. According to a police report, an officer working a TSA detail approached Bess in the concourse after several passengers called attention to his bizarre activity. He was "acting irrationally, dancing, singing with his pants repeatedly falling down," according to a report written by officer Thomas O'Brien for the Broward County Sheriff’s department.

It continued a pattern of unusual conduct for former Miami Dolphins NFL Man of the Year nominee. The 28-year-old has made news in recent weeks for controversial social-media postings, including pictures of what appeared to be marijuana on a table. Several posts were later removed from his accounts.

Davone Bess' incarceration photo from the Broward County Sheriff's Office in Florida.Associated Press

Given Bess’ recent conduct and the Friday arrest, it would not be hard to imagine the Browns releasing him in the coming weeks and trying to recoup some of the guaranteed money they awarded him. Non-playoff teams cannot waive players until Feb. 3, the day after the Super Bowl.

But should the club have been aware of potential red flags before acquiring him in an Apil trade with the Dolphins and giving him a contact extension worth $11.5 million, including $5.75 million in guarantees?

Another league source told NEOMG on Friday that members of the Dolphins’ organization aren’t surprised by Bess’ arrest or his recent social-media posts. Teams are not required to share such information while discussing potential deals.

Regardless, it has been a difficult stretch for Bess, who in Miami had been a dependable slot receiver and described as a “poor man’s Wes Welker.”

He made the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2008 after overcoming a difficult childhood in Oakland, which included a 15-month stay in a juvenile detention center for allowing friends to hop in his car with stolen weapons and other goods.

After reaching the NFL, Bess appeared determined to help others. He established the “Bess Route Foundation,” dedicated to assisting underprivileged kids and at-risk families. His charitable work with the foundation and within the Miami community made him the Dolphins’ 2011 nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.

But a former business associate said Bess has had little contact with the foundation since his trade to Browns. The foundation’s website still refers to him as a member of the Dolphins and the “upcoming events” page touts 2012 attractions.

Informed of Bess’ recent social-media activity, which included calling African-Americans a variation of the N-word, the business associate said it doesn’t jibe with the person he knows.

“He wasn’t reclusive, but he was a pretty private guy,” said the man, who hasn’t spoken to Bess in 10 months. “It is concerning. He has been such a stand-up guy.”

As rumors swirled about his possible trade, Bess was on “an emotional roller coaster,” the business associate said.

“One day, he was up, thinking he might get a new contract, and the next day he’d be really down,” the man said.

The decision to trade for Bess also had a significant impact on another Browns acquisition, David Nelson. A league source said Nelson was upset with the team’s decision to deal for Bess after signing him to a free-agent contract on April 8. Nelson, rehabbing from a torn knee ligament, wanted his release, the source said. He rehabbed the injury in Texas rather than the Browns' facility in Berea.

The club cut Nelson after he appeared in one preseason game – he missed substantial time in training camp with another knee injury. Nelson signed with the New York Jets in October and scored two touchdowns in a 24-13 win over the Browns on Dec. 22. The Browns’ effort in that loss – their sixth straight -- allegedly factored in owner Jimmy Haslam’s decision to fire first-year coach Rob Chudzinski.

Bess struggled through an unproductive season that saw him post career-low numbers in catches (42) and yards (362) while finishing among the league leaders with 13 drops. He grew depressed by his performance, a source said, and "mentally checked out" in his final week with team.

The Browns placed Bess on the reserve/non-football illness list, citing personal reasons, on Dec. 21. A day earlier, a picture posted on his Instagram account showed him sitting on a deck next to a photo of reggae legend Bob Marley and lighting a cigarillo with a Rasta flag draped around his neck.

Bess is a follower of the Rastafari Movement, a spiritual ideology with roots in 1930s Jamaica. He often punctuates Tweets with reference to Jah, which in the Rasta culture means God.

His most attention-grabbing Tweet came Thursday. It featured a photo that shows a small bag of a greenish-brown substance that looks like marijuana. The picture also contains what looks like a cigar, a beverage and a 5-hour Energy drink.

The Twitter photo also contains a picture of “The Godmother,” Griselda Blanco, the founder of the Colombian Medellin drug cartel and a pioneer in the Miami-based cocaine trade. She was assassinated in 2012.

We da real dons! pic.twitter.com/AdlYCuCsEK

— Davone Bess (@davonebess) January 16, 2014

In the past two days, the Browns’ only public comments have been to acknowledge their awareness of the social-media posts and the arrest. It will be interesting to see how the team and league proceed if Bess is treated and diagnosed with a mental disorder.